G M Thomas FRSA FRAS
@japanauthor.bsky.social
Fellow Royal Society of Arts. Fellow Royal Asiatic Society.
These delightful hand-tinted picture postcards date from the early Showa era. Often sold in albums aimed at tourists, there rather crude colouring adds to the charm in my opinion.
December 3, 2025 at 9:30 PM
These delightful hand-tinted picture postcards date from the early Showa era. Often sold in albums aimed at tourists, there rather crude colouring adds to the charm in my opinion.
Blackpool North Pier. July 2012.
#seascape #England #seaside #resort #photography #BlueSkyArtShow
@bskyphotos.bsky.social
#seascape #England #seaside #resort #photography #BlueSkyArtShow
@bskyphotos.bsky.social
December 3, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Blackpool North Pier. July 2012.
#seascape #England #seaside #resort #photography #BlueSkyArtShow
@bskyphotos.bsky.social
#seascape #England #seaside #resort #photography #BlueSkyArtShow
@bskyphotos.bsky.social
The Society of Authors reveals its 2025 Translation Prizes shortlists, which include a dedicated award for translations of Japanese works.
December 3, 2025 at 10:58 AM
The Society of Authors reveals its 2025 Translation Prizes shortlists, which include a dedicated award for translations of Japanese works.
A strategic plank in Takaichi's economic plan is to develop AI capability and hosting of data centres. It is already hitting hurdles as this Nikkei headline shows.
Conversely, Beijing is accelerating its use of AI by the military eg to dynamically predict adversaries' next moves.
Conversely, Beijing is accelerating its use of AI by the military eg to dynamically predict adversaries' next moves.
December 3, 2025 at 10:42 AM
A strategic plank in Takaichi's economic plan is to develop AI capability and hosting of data centres. It is already hitting hurdles as this Nikkei headline shows.
Conversely, Beijing is accelerating its use of AI by the military eg to dynamically predict adversaries' next moves.
Conversely, Beijing is accelerating its use of AI by the military eg to dynamically predict adversaries' next moves.
Katherine Hepburn had more talents than just being one of the all time great actors. She was also a painter. This is an undated oil. NB: other actors/stars from the Golden Era who painted include Frank Sinatra, Ginger Rogers, Kim Novak, and Tony Curtis.
December 2, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Katherine Hepburn had more talents than just being one of the all time great actors. She was also a painter. This is an undated oil. NB: other actors/stars from the Golden Era who painted include Frank Sinatra, Ginger Rogers, Kim Novak, and Tony Curtis.
The Americans had a plan to invade Japanese controlled Formosa but found a land invasion was a logistical nightmare and ditched it. Just as Russia has found in the Ukraine. Unlikely that the PRC can take Taiwan by using land forces. grahamthomasauthor.wordpress.com/2020/06/20/o...
Operation Causeway
The Allied invasion routes as predicted by the Japanese High Command towards the end of the 2nd World War. As part of Operation Olympic (see below) Operation Causeway was the U.S. plan to invade Ta…
grahamthomasauthor.wordpress.com
December 2, 2025 at 7:59 AM
The Americans had a plan to invade Japanese controlled Formosa but found a land invasion was a logistical nightmare and ditched it. Just as Russia has found in the Ukraine. Unlikely that the PRC can take Taiwan by using land forces. grahamthomasauthor.wordpress.com/2020/06/20/o...
Just when you thought...she's back with more Orientalism. PR blurb:
In her most personal book yet, the iconic star of the hit series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and #1 bestselling author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up opens up about the cultural traditions that have inspired her philosophy
In her most personal book yet, the iconic star of the hit series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and #1 bestselling author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up opens up about the cultural traditions that have inspired her philosophy
December 2, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Just when you thought...she's back with more Orientalism. PR blurb:
In her most personal book yet, the iconic star of the hit series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and #1 bestselling author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up opens up about the cultural traditions that have inspired her philosophy
In her most personal book yet, the iconic star of the hit series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and #1 bestselling author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up opens up about the cultural traditions that have inspired her philosophy
There is much chatter about interpretations of the Potsdam Declaration and the spat between China and Japan. Sometime ago using primary sources I wrote a summary of the conference and the complications when it came agreeing the final version.
grahamthomasauthor.wordpress.com/2020/05/25/t...
grahamthomasauthor.wordpress.com/2020/05/25/t...
The Potsdam Declaration: Stalin and Truman’s cat and mouse game.
Stalin, Truman, Brynes, Mototov. Potsdam July 1945 After the unconditional surrender of the Germans – and the end of the war in Europe – the three key leaders of the Allied nations met …
grahamthomasauthor.wordpress.com
December 1, 2025 at 1:07 PM
There is much chatter about interpretations of the Potsdam Declaration and the spat between China and Japan. Sometime ago using primary sources I wrote a summary of the conference and the complications when it came agreeing the final version.
grahamthomasauthor.wordpress.com/2020/05/25/t...
grahamthomasauthor.wordpress.com/2020/05/25/t...
A relook and reappraisal of Dr No, and its early success. #Letterboxd #JamesBond 📽️
midcenturybond.wordpress.com/2022/05/13/d...
midcenturybond.wordpress.com/2022/05/13/d...
Dr No: a relook at the film and its early success.
Mitchell Hooks’ design is very much influenced by the pulp fiction front covers of the era. The fact that it is based on the novel is prominent, reflecting the popularity of the the book. From left…
midcenturybond.wordpress.com
December 1, 2025 at 10:54 AM
A relook and reappraisal of Dr No, and its early success. #Letterboxd #JamesBond 📽️
midcenturybond.wordpress.com/2022/05/13/d...
midcenturybond.wordpress.com/2022/05/13/d...
I did a little update on the Author, Bigamist and Fantasist. A true story set, for the large part, in 1930s Shanghai. grahamthomasauthor.wordpress.com/2025/08/25/t...
The author, bigamist and fantasist.
This is as close to a real-life tragic romantic fiction as can be found. The story of a middle-class literary woman duped by a rogue fantasist. Madeleine Constance Munday was born on 7 November 189…
grahamthomasauthor.wordpress.com
December 1, 2025 at 10:07 AM
I did a little update on the Author, Bigamist and Fantasist. A true story set, for the large part, in 1930s Shanghai. grahamthomasauthor.wordpress.com/2025/08/25/t...
November 30, 2025 at 11:41 PM
'Rage bait' named Oxford word of the year 2025 - even though it is two words. 'Rage bait' named Oxford word of the year 2025 www.bbc.com/news/article...
Rage bait named word of the year 2025 by Oxford University Press
The phrase - meaning to get angry scrolling through social media - beats aura farming and biohack to the title.
www.bbc.com
November 30, 2025 at 11:15 PM
'Rage bait' named Oxford word of the year 2025 - even though it is two words. 'Rage bait' named Oxford word of the year 2025 www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by G M Thomas FRSA FRAS
Dance of the Chiba Urban Monorail
November 30, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Dance of the Chiba Urban Monorail
Ebinoya Kotohira. This new restaurant opened earlier this year. Specialises in ebi dishes. November 2025. #Kotohira #Kagawa #JapaneseFood #snacks.
November 30, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Ebinoya Kotohira. This new restaurant opened earlier this year. Specialises in ebi dishes. November 2025. #Kotohira #Kagawa #JapaneseFood #snacks.
Looking north from Yokohama towards the metropolitan centre of Tokyo...about 35 kms distant. July 2025.
#Stunday #urbangaze #Japan #cityscape #clouds
@bskyphotos.bsky.social
#Stunday #urbangaze #Japan #cityscape #clouds
@bskyphotos.bsky.social
November 30, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Looking north from Yokohama towards the metropolitan centre of Tokyo...about 35 kms distant. July 2025.
#Stunday #urbangaze #Japan #cityscape #clouds
@bskyphotos.bsky.social
#Stunday #urbangaze #Japan #cityscape #clouds
@bskyphotos.bsky.social
Luke Johnson's analysis is well worth reading reminding us that The Hollie Men resonates just as much today as did in pre-WW2 Europe.
100 years on, T.S. Eliot’s The Hollow Men is a poem for our populist moment
by Luke Johnson
theconversation.com/100-years-on...
Eliot at PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho...
#books #literature #poetry
by Luke Johnson
theconversation.com/100-years-on...
Eliot at PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho...
#books #literature #poetry
November 30, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Luke Johnson's analysis is well worth reading reminding us that The Hollie Men resonates just as much today as did in pre-WW2 Europe.
Fish Story is one of those bonkers absurdist Japanese films that for the first time you can watch now on various platforms. If available then for lovers of all things Japan, watch it before it disappears.
November 29, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Fish Story is one of those bonkers absurdist Japanese films that for the first time you can watch now on various platforms. If available then for lovers of all things Japan, watch it before it disappears.
November 29, 2025 at 2:11 AM
November 29, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Professor Noriko Hama is an Economist and Emeritus Professor at the Doshisha University Graduate School of Business has a rather cheeky set of adapted names:
- abenomics becomes ahonomics; "aho" (アホ) while
- Sanae Takaichi becomes Ahotakaichi.
- abenomics becomes ahonomics; "aho" (アホ) while
- Sanae Takaichi becomes Ahotakaichi.
November 28, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Professor Noriko Hama is an Economist and Emeritus Professor at the Doshisha University Graduate School of Business has a rather cheeky set of adapted names:
- abenomics becomes ahonomics; "aho" (アホ) while
- Sanae Takaichi becomes Ahotakaichi.
- abenomics becomes ahonomics; "aho" (アホ) while
- Sanae Takaichi becomes Ahotakaichi.
A thread on Takaichi Sanae, and her desire to take Japan back to its pre-WW2 Imperial, militarily-hawkish status.
This was her mentor's Abe's position, who followed the philosophy of his grandfather Nobusuke Kishi, a Class A war criminal (luckily - for him - he escaped being prosecuted).
This was her mentor's Abe's position, who followed the philosophy of his grandfather Nobusuke Kishi, a Class A war criminal (luckily - for him - he escaped being prosecuted).
November 28, 2025 at 1:34 PM
A thread on Takaichi Sanae, and her desire to take Japan back to its pre-WW2 Imperial, militarily-hawkish status.
This was her mentor's Abe's position, who followed the philosophy of his grandfather Nobusuke Kishi, a Class A war criminal (luckily - for him - he escaped being prosecuted).
This was her mentor's Abe's position, who followed the philosophy of his grandfather Nobusuke Kishi, a Class A war criminal (luckily - for him - he escaped being prosecuted).
Reposted by G M Thomas FRSA FRAS
“.. Japanese officials said the message was worrying: the president didn’t want friction over Taiwan to endanger a detente reached last month with Xi, which includes a promise to buy more agricultural products from American farmers ..”
@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/world/china/...
@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/world/china/...
November 26, 2025 at 11:42 PM
“.. Japanese officials said the message was worrying: the president didn’t want friction over Taiwan to endanger a detente reached last month with Xi, which includes a promise to buy more agricultural products from American farmers ..”
@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/world/china/...
@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/world/china/...
Reposted by G M Thomas FRSA FRAS
The cult took his home, his money, and killed his brother. More would suffer. He knew they prospered because of a powerful politician protecting them: ex-PM Shinzo Abe. Target locked.
🚨 Yamagami trial reveals the path from failed suicide to homemade shotgun
open.substack.com/pub/tokyopal...
🚨 Yamagami trial reveals the path from failed suicide to homemade shotgun
open.substack.com/pub/tokyopal...
“Abe is our Ally”: the words that turned a desperate man into the killer of Japan’s ex-Prime Minister. 🚨 Yamagami trial reveals the path from failed suicide to homemade shotgun
The cult took his home, his money, and killed his brother. More would suffer. He knew they prospered because of a powerful politician protecting them: ex-PM Shinzo Abe. Target locked.
open.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 10:12 PM
The cult took his home, his money, and killed his brother. More would suffer. He knew they prospered because of a powerful politician protecting them: ex-PM Shinzo Abe. Target locked.
🚨 Yamagami trial reveals the path from failed suicide to homemade shotgun
open.substack.com/pub/tokyopal...
🚨 Yamagami trial reveals the path from failed suicide to homemade shotgun
open.substack.com/pub/tokyopal...
Reposted by G M Thomas FRSA FRAS
Poison Water review – a damning tale of greed, incompetence and Britain’s biggest mass poisoning
Poison Water review – a damning tale of greed, incompetence and Britain’s biggest mass poisoning
When north Cornwall residents’ water turned black and gelatinous in 1988, they were urged to mix it with orange squash when drinking. This powerful film lays out the effects of the toxic H2O – and their long struggle for justice
www.theguardian.com
November 27, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Poison Water review – a damning tale of greed, incompetence and Britain’s biggest mass poisoning